Lombardi would have frowned on Culliver’s homophobic remarks

If San Francisco beats Baltimore to win the Super Bowl, Frank Gore, Patrick Willis and other linchpins likely will be the first 49ers to grasp the Lombardi Trophy.

Eventually, though, the NFL’s most coveted piece of hardware will find its way into the hands of cornerback Chris Culliver, who could benefit from knowing more about the man whose name is on the Tiffany & Co. sterling silver creation.

Culliver is under fire in New Orleans for homophobic remarks he made on the radio Tuesday at Media Day, comments Vince Lombardi likely would have frowned upon based on information about him revealed in Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss’ “When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi.”

Maraniss reported the legendary coach had a gay younger brother and made it clear to his 1969 Washington Redskins coaching staff that any discrimination toward homosexual players would not be tolerated.

“Vince did know that Harold (Lombardi) was gay,” Maraniss wrote, “and here was an area where the coach showed an open mind, according to friends and family. He ignored Catholic teaching against homosexuality and instead considered gays another group deserving respect, like blacks and American Indians and Italians. In later years, he would have players who were gay, and quietly root for them at training camp, hoping they could show they were good enough to make the team.”

One of those players was a young, underachieving Redskins running back from McKinney, Texas, named Ray McDonald. Lombardi coached in Washington after years of success at Green Bay, a title-laden stint that included victories in the first two Super Bowls.
Maraniss wrote that some coaches were uncomfortable with McDonald’s orientation and talked about him behind his back.

“Lombardi knew (McDonald was gay) and did not care,” Maraniss wrote. “…He had made it a point throughout his coaching career that he would not tolerate discrimination of any sort on his teams” and told an assistant, “I want you to get on McDonald and work on him and work on him – and if I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you’ll be out of here before your ass hits the ground.”

In an interview with radio host Artie Lange, Culliver suggested he would not welcome a gay teammate when asked if any 49ers were homosexual.

“I don’t do the gay guys, man. I don’t do that,” Culliver said, via SI.com. “Nah, we ain’t got no gay people on the team. They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah, can’t be in the locker room.”

Culliver also suggested gay players should be closeted.

“Yeah, come out 10 years later,” he said.

The 49ers, who play in a city with one of America’s largest gay communities, quickly released a statement rejecting Culliver’s anti-gay comments.

“There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level,” the statement read. “We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”

On Thursday after talking with team officials, Culliver told reporters, “that’s not what’s in my heart…I’m sorry if I offended anyone.” NFL.com also reported he “invoked a number of conversations with people close to him, from his mother to unnamed gay relatives.”

Fair enough, but it would have been nice to hear Culliver say what Lombardi reportedly told his assistants in 1969: Discrimination against gay players won’t be tolerated. Period.